Pet Care

US e-commerce giant Amazon has added to its own brand line up of grocery products with the launch of a range of pet food under the name Wag, according to a report in CNet. The new brand is the latest addition to Amazon’s expanding portfolio of private label brands, which currently comprises more than 70 lines across a diverse range of product categories. The initial offering under the Wag brand …

FMCG giant Nestle has announced the opening of a new pet food plant for its Purina brand, located in Teno in the Maule region of Chile According to Economia y Negocios, the company has invested $120 million in the new plant, which it expects to produce 65,000 tons of pet food per year. This will enable the firm to supply 80% of its local market, instead of being reliant on …

Insight by Gama Compass MANCHESTER – 11th April 2018: The proportion of consumers following vegan diets is on an upward curve, and this is being increasingly reflected in product launch activity in the FMCG arena, according to the latest figures from Gama Compass. Data from for the first few months of 2018 shows that as many as 9% of new consumer goods launches are now promoting a ‘vegan’ claim, up from …

US-based food and beverage producer JM Smucker has announced an agreement to acquire Ainsworth Pet Nutrition for approximately $1.7 billion. Ainsworth Pet Nutrition is a privately-held company which produces and distributes premium-positioned pet food and pet snacks, including the Rachael Ray Nutrish brand. In addition to the company headquarters in Pennsylvania, the transaction includes two manufacturing facilities and a leased distribution facility. This acquisition reinforces JM Smucker’s position in pet …

RCL Foods, a manufacturer of food products, is investing 150 million ZAR ($12.6 million) to open one of the largest pet food facilities in South Africa. The company said that the new 1,500 sq m facility, located in Randfontein near Johannesburg, would feature innovation and technology improvements allowing for a revolution in its Canine Cuisine, Bobtail and Catmor pet food ranges. In a statement, RCL Foods announced that it would …

General Mills, the leading US food producer, has expanded into the natural pet food space with the acquisition of Blue Buffalo, in a deal that has an enterprise value of approximately $8.0 billion. Founded in 2002, Blue Buffalo is described as a fast-growing major pet food company that markets natural foods and treats for dogs and cats under the Blue brand. Blue is claimed to be the number 1 “wholesome natural pet food …

Cargill, the commodities giant, has announced that it has acquired Pro-Pet, a dog food manufacturer based in Ohio, USA. Pro-Pet productes private label and co-manufactured pet foods, including the premium-positioned brand Black Gold. The firm has more than 150 employees and operates pet food manufacturing facilities in Owatonna, MN, St. Marys, OH and Kansas City, KS. Commenting on the deal, Cargill Feed and Nutrition president Pilar Cruz said: “Pro-Pet’s commitment to high-quality, …

Nestle Purina, the pet care arm of the Swiss FMCG giant, has announced a $320 million investment in the construction of a new manufacturing plant and distribution centre in Hart County, GA, USA, the first new Purina factory to be built in the US in more than two decades. The company said it intended to create over 240 new jobs and to close on the property later in theyear, contingent on …

Food and drinks multinational Nestle has announced an investment of R$270 million ($86 million) in the opening of a new Nestle Purina plant to manufacture pet food in Brazil, reportedly the first to produce wet pet food in Latin America. According to a statement released by Nestle, the plant will be located in Ribeirao Preto in Sao Paulo and will produce wet food for cats and dogs under the Friskies, …

Mars Petcare, the pet food division of the global food giant, has launched its first soups for cats under the Whiskas Creamy Soups and Sheba Classic Soups names. Whiskas Creamy Soup comes in meat, poultry and fish varieties with “30% meat and 70% sauce” and is designed to be a full balanced meal for pets. Mars is said to be investing £10 million ($13 million) to stimulate the sales of …

Swiss FMCG giant Nestle is to invest about R$400 million ($101 million) to expand production capacity in Brazil over the course of 2016, Supermercado Moderno reports. According to the news agency, the plan is to increase capacity by introducing new production lines, allowing some items that were previously imported to be manufacturer locally. Among the areas slated for investment are pet food and coffee, especially to meet expected growth in …

Nestle, the world’s leading food multinational, has released its full year results, posting single-digit organic growth over 2015. The Swiss firm said that organic growth was 4.2% with real internal growth of 2.2%, fuelled in particular by a strong showing in the Americas where turnover was up 5.8%. Total sales for the year amounted to 88.8 billion CHF ($89.57 billion), while net profit was 9.1 billion CHF ($9.18 billion). Commenting on …

Swiss FMCG multinational Nestle is to acquire the remaining shares in Israeli food manufacturer Osem in a deal worth about $840 million, according to a Reuters report. Osem is Israel’s third-largest food producer by sales, behind the Strauss Group and market leader Tnuva. The firm produces more than 2,000 different food items in 11 production sites, both for domestic consumption and for export, particularly to European countries and to the United States. The …

UK-based pet care manufacturer Bob Martin has reached an agreement to acquire Nestle’s Purina PetCare unit in Europe, according to a report in Pet Gazette. The deal includes the acquisition of Nestle Purina´s PetCare’s manufacturing, distribution and salesforce in France, Italy and Spain and is set to enable Bob Martin to expand its presence in Europe. “With over 85 years’ experience, the Purina PetCare business offers significant expertise in pet …

Waitrose is introducing a new private label dried pet food range under the name Mill Stream Farm in a bid to tap into the demand for natural pet food products. The Mill Stream Farm range, launched in the UK, is composed of nine cat and dog food varieties, sub segmented for younger and older pets and presented in different size formats. Flavours in the range include turkey and chicken, while …

US firm Mars has announced that it is making an investment of R$1 billion ($250 million) in Brazil by 2020, according to a report in O Globo. The announcement was made following a meeting between the company and representatives of the state of Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo will ultimately be the main focus of the company’s spend, with a total of R$750 million ($190 million) to be invested in the …

The latest innovation insight from Gama Compass™ MANCHESTER – 24th September 2015: This week’s Innovation Insight investigates how overarching food industry trends – from natural ingredients to adventurous flavour – are being increasingly expressed in the world of pet care, as we look at Nestle’s latest expansion of its Purina Beyond range – Purina Beyond Natural Puree for Dogs. Promoted as “natural meal enhancements” and designed to act as a flavoursome …

Insight by Gama Compass™ MANCHESTER – 16th April 2015: From the growth in on-the-go breakfast foods to the rise of multifunctional “alphabet creams” in the cosmetics market, convenience benefits have driven many of the breakthrough innovation trends in the FMCG space over the past few years. However, as the latest analysis of product launches reported by Gama Compass™ over the last 12 months can reveal, claims relating to convenience – …

In a novel twist on the personalisation trend, Nestle has announced a new platform for its Purina brand that allows owners to create a unique dog food blend designed to meet the individual needs of their pet. Described by Nestle as “the first time a major pet food producer has moved into the personalised food category for dogs in the US market”, the system works via an online platform called …

Nestle has announced a A$65 million ($57 million) investment at its Purina pet care factory in Blayney, Australia. The upgrade is designed to extend the plant’s capabilities and will also create around 100 full time jobs, Nestle said. The move will take total investment in the location to A$100 million ($88 million) since 2011. The new facility will product wet pet food in pouches for sale in Australia, Japan, China …

Waitrose has announced that it is setting up a new website to exclusively sell pet foods and accessories. WaitrosePet (waitrosepet.com) will offer a wide variety of around 9,000 pet products including 60 Waitrose own brand lines. The supermarket chain said that alongside popular brands will be specialist and veterinary diets products such as Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin, Hill’s and James Wellbeloved, as well as other accessories for cats, dogs, …

According to reports, Diana Group of France is to be acquired for €1.3 billion (US$1.8 billion) by the German scents and flavours group Symrise. Diana is active in the food, pet food, nutraceuticals, aquaculture and cosmetics space and has become one of the leading suppliers of organoleptic solutions based on natural ingredients, Symrise said in a statement. The French company was further described as “a world leader in natural and …

Mars, Incorporated and The Procter & Gamble Company have announced that Mars has agreed to buy the Iams, Eukanuba and Natura pet brands for US$2.9 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to be completed by the second-half of 2014. European Union countries are not included in the agreement. P&G’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, A.G. Lafley, said: “Exiting Pet Care is an important step in our strategy to …

Horn Animal Wellness has partnered with IOI Loders Croklaan (Loders) to announce the introduction of a new generation of high-stability palm oil. The new palm oil product is said to serve the pet food kibble industry by addressing the shortcomings of conventional canola oil currently available in the market. Horn, the distributor of specialty animal ingredients, and IOI Loders Croklaan, the supplier of specialty oils and fats, are launching the …

Merrick Pet Care Inc. has unveiled more than 60 new all-natural food and treat recipes for dogs as it looks to consolidate a leadership position in natural and organic pet food products. The company, which specializes in natural pet foods and treats, unveiled full lines of all-natural treats and humanized canned dog food recipes at the Pet Food Expo in Orlando, Florida. Among the new products on display were Kitchen …

German based plastic packaging manufacturer Gizeh Verpackungen has developed an EVOH oxygen barrier to feature on Nestle Purina dog food, Packaging Today reports. The development will provide an aroma barrier and prolong storage life, it is reported. The new rigid container for the Nestle Purina 300g dog food will be sealed with an aluminium plastic composite foil and sterilised by cooking. A shrink sleeve is then applied and containers are …

According to Feed Machinery, Mars Poland is planning to invest more than 250 million PLN (approx $80 million) to develop its animal feed factory in Kozuszki Parcel and to launch a new chocolate factory in Janaszowek. The company has already invested 800 million PLN (approx $256 million) in a factory and office complex near Sochaczew. With the new plan, the total investment in Poland will exceed 1 billion PLN (approx …